Polar Night Cocoa, the Explorers' Hot Chocolate
A thick, barely sweet hot chocolate made with reconstituted milk: bitter and deep, burning the hands as much as the stomach. The liquid comfort of the ice, and the evening drink at home.
A thick, barely sweet hot chocolate made with reconstituted milk: bitter and deep, burning the hands as much as the stomach. The liquid comfort of the ice, and the evening drink at home.
There are evenings under the tent when the wind howls enough to freeze your soul — and then a cup of boiling cocoa is worth all the gold in the world. We carried it in blocks, with powdered milk, for nothing keeps better in a pack or warms a broken man better. Make it thick and not too sweet, in the sober Northern way; hold the cup in both hands, and let the warmth sink slowly. It is not a luxury: it is courage in a beverage.
- •Block chocolate (or cocoa) — a generous piece (base, bitterness)
- •Reconstituted powdered milk — as desired (body, calories)
- •Sugar — a little (measured sweetness)
- •Melted snow water — as needed (liquid)
Polar Night Cocoa, the Explorers' Hot Chocolate
A thick, barely sweet hot chocolate made with reconstituted milk: bitter and deep, burning the hands as much as the stomach. The liquid comfort of the ice, and the evening drink at home.
Why this dish? In his rations, Nansen counted chocolate and powdered milk among the key provisions: easy to transport, energy-dense, comforting in extreme cold. A cup of boiling *kakao* under the tent was one of the few pleasures of the long polar night.
There are evenings under the tent when the wind howls enough to freeze your soul — and then a cup of boiling cocoa is worth all the gold in the world. We carried it in blocks, with powdered milk, for nothing keeps better in a pack or warms a broken man better. Make it thick and not too sweet, in the sober Northern way; hold the cup in both hands, and let the warmth sink slowly. It is not a luxury: it is courage in a beverage.
Ingredients (period version)
- Block chocolate (or cocoa) — a generous piece (base, bitterness)
- Reconstituted powdered milk — as desired (body, calories)
- Sugar — a little (measured sweetness)
- Melted snow water — as needed (liquid)
Ingredients
- Dark chocolate 70% — 80 g (base)
- Unsweetened cocoa powder — 1 tbsp (depth)
- Whole milk — 500 ml (body)
- Sugar — 1 tbsp (adjust) (sweetness)
- Pinch of salt — 1 pinch (enhancer)
Method
- Heat the milk without boiling.
- Whisk in the cocoa and sugar.
- Add the chopped dark chocolate; stir until completely melted.
- Let thicken for 2 min on low heat while whisking; add the pinch of salt.
- Serve very hot, in a sturdy mug held with both hands.
How it was made : Chocolate and cocoa were standard expedition provisions from the 19th century: portable, durable, highly energetic. On the ice, snow was melted for water and powdered milk reconstituted, with sugar rationed — hence a more bitter cocoa than today.
The contemporary twist : A pinch of ground cardamom, a spice dear to Scandinavian pastries, and a spoonful of barely sweetened whipped cream to recall *rømme*.
Sources : Fridtjof Nansen, *Farthest North* (Fram over Polhavet, 1897)
Fridtjof Nansen · Charactorium
